RTÉ announced yesterday that they will be a media partner of the Dublin LGBT+ Pride Festival again this year.

RTÉ has been in many controversies regarding the LGBT+ community, we all remember when earlier this year the protest of activists gather outside RTÉ’s studios in Donnybrook to protest the broadcaster’s decision to include Graham Linehan in a special edition of Prime Time.

Here is the statement provided by Dublin Pride regarding this year’s partnership with RTÉ:

“Yes, after 5 years Dublin LGBT+ Pride and RTÉ have become partners again. And in case anyone thinks we’ve forgotten everything they’ve done over those 5 years, let me assure you, we have not.

Dowling continued “I still remember Pantigate, I remember being called to a press conference in the Oak Room in The Mansion House in 2014 where I got up and announced that Dublin Pride was ending its relationship with RTÉ, I remember being asked if I would read out a statement from RTÉ and I remember the scorn I gave them.

“Oddly what I remember most about that day was my husband Colm and Ann Louise Gilligan sitting together on one of the benches in the room laughing about how they were always left minding the coats at things like this. I remember the whole thing I also remember after that whole disgraceful coverage of Trans issues this year, I threw down a simple challenge to RTÉ show young trans people at their best, instead of a middle-aged irrelevant straight man at his worst.

“In all our meetings with RTÉ, we were very clear, we had not forgotten and we demanded better from our national broadcaster. This is an opportunity for RTÉ to fulfil a responsibility they have to our community and one I believe they really want to take. They approached us, looking to build a partnership. We get no money from this partnership when we were asked what we wanted in return, we were very clear ‘tell the story of real people in our community’.”

Commenting on the announcement, RTÉ Director-General, Dee Forbes said:

“As Ireland’s national public media organisation with a unique place in Ireland’s media and cultural landscape, we are proud to promote our vision to celebrate Ireland’s rich diversity by supporting the Dublin LGBTQ+ Pride Festival. We hope our campaign to promote the festival will connect with people, both across the country and throughout RTÉ and raise greater awareness of this important celebration of Ireland’s LGBT+ community.”

The Festival Director, Jed Dowling concluded by saying “The majority of the work we’re doing with RTÉ will actually be seen after Pride. We’re not asking anyone to forgive them, and definitely not to forget. We asked them to do the right thing and they said yes, and we want you to be the judge if they do.”